


You Could Drive A Person Crazy

by Overanalyzer



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Challenge Response, Curses, M/M, Mind Control
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-31
Updated: 2016-01-31
Packaged: 2018-05-17 10:21:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5865736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Overanalyzer/pseuds/Overanalyzer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Interference by the goddess of love throws Percy, Jason, and the people around them into chaos. Now, with the threat of a curse breathing down their necks, the two of them must figure out how deal with it, and with each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Could Drive A Person Crazy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [razielim](https://archiveofourown.org/users/razielim/gifts).



> Written for razielim's Veni Vidi Jercy challenge, for the prompt: "One of them pisses off aphrodite and has to hide out in the other’s apartment when they’re hit with a curse that makes every girl that sees him fall quite literally _madly_ in love with him."

*****Day 1*****

"Where are they now?"

"We have cells," Frank bit out, "but whatever's going on, it's not doing the same things for all of them. They're not all as direct as Reyna. The last girl tried to send a _letter bomb_ , and we barely caught it." The praetor sighed. "This is only gonna get worse."

Percy put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Any...has there been any word from Hazel?" The daughter of Pluto was out on a quest right now, and Percy silently prayed to any god out there that the distance was enough to keep her safe."

"Yeah, she messaged this morning. She seemed fine, and said they'd stay away," Frank said. "Whatever is going on, it doesn't seem to have spread outside camp. Yet." Percy breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank Zeus for small favors. And Jason?" 

"Nobody's seen him since he left Temple Hill," Frank confirmed, and Percy was even more relieved.

"For the best," Percy offered, "I mean...you said that _they_ said..."

"'He's mine' was the phrase most of them used. Over and over again." Frank brought his hands to his face. "We closed the tunnel. And he wasn't seen flying out either. He can't have left the city, but as far as anybody knows he isn't anywhere _in it_." Collapsing in his chair with groan that echoed through the principia, Frank turned his head up to look helplessly at the ceiling. "Liza says he was cursed. But she won't know who cursed him until she can examine him. And if she does..."

"...No telling who else gets their head messed with," Percy finished for him. So far, all the afflicted girls had only been _physically_ violent. A daughter of Trivia getting caught up and bringing sorcery into the mix could be the icing on the fiasco cake. "So we've got a _missing_ Jason, at least nine girls going all 'if I can't have you, nobody can', and absolutely no idea who's doing this or why. That about cover it?"

"We're also down a praetor and two centurions," Frank added. "three, if you count Hazel staying out of town. Plus six other legionaires. No civilians yet, but..." he trailed off, his point obvious. This was almost guaranteed to spread outside the ranks of the legion. "Percy...I know you're not in the legion anymore but--"

"Say no more," Percy reassured him. "I can take a break from classes for a while. 'Mind controlling curse' is a valid excuse, right?"

Frank gave him a tired smile. "Anywhere else? Probably not. Here?" He sighed again, frustrated and exhausted. "Just another day in New Rome..."

***********

The walk back to his apartment gave Percy ample time to think about the disaster he'd tripped into this time. And it was a doozy.

Earlier in the afternoon, a panicked and desperate Frank had summoned him to the principia, citing 'an emergency.' That emergency had turned out to be nine young women locked up in New Rome's holding cells. All of them were said to have exhibited violent behavior. All of that behavior had been directed toward, or motivated by, one Jason Grace, the son of Jupiter, former praetor, and current high priest of New Rome.

Now, girls going a little crazy over Jason was in no way surprising to Percy. His friend was compassionate, brave, and (and Percy was just speaking objectively here), hotter than July. The son of Jupiter was a catch, there was no denying it.

But actual attempted murder over the guy? Seemed a little excessive to Percy.

And yet, that was apparently exactly what had happened. According to Frank, no fewer than nine young ladies of the legion had been driven to extreme measures in the hopes of winning Jason Grace's heart. In a single morning. All of them, including one of the legion's praetors, had been subdued without doing actual harm to themselves or others, but each act had come without warning, and the boys of Camp Jupiter were getting more and more afraid of their female comrades, and not in a healthy, respectful sort of way. With no other options apparent, Frank had reached out to Percy for help.

New Romans passed him by without a second glance. Being 'the _graceus_ ' wasn't so notable anymore, not after five years and dozens of Greek half-bloods putting in appearances for quests, or schooling, or just goodwill visits. So far as these people were concerned, there was nothing out of the ordinary about Perseus Jackson whatsoever. He was just another resident, climbing the steps of one of the city's many apartment buildings.

Good thing, too. He didn't need anybody looking to closely, now of all times.

Percy bad about getting Frank to lie to the legion. Like, it was _Frank_ , for Poseidon's sake, and Frank deserved nothing but honesty and respect and hugs, in Percy's opinion. But Jason was as clueless as they were, and the last thing he or they needed was one of the affected finding out where he was. _That_ would be enough to tip this from 'disaster' over to full-on 'catastrophe.'

 _'No,'_ he thought as he slid his key into the lock, _in this case, the lie is just safer._

Under normal circumstances, there would be nothing strange at all about the guy sitting on Percy's couch. But Jason Grace was cursed, and the target of a manhunt because of it. There was nothing normal about today.

"How many?" the blond asked, not waiting to greet his host. 

"Nine so far." Percy replied grimly.

"Shit." Jason looked absolutely miserable. Percy knew he was wracked with guilt over what had happened.

"Frank said it was definitely a curse, though," Percy offered, "this isn't your fault."

Jason snorted. "Not my fault," he said bitterly, "and yet, for some reason, it's not _you_ they're _stabbing_ people over."

"Dakota will live," Percy reminded him, "and even if he hadn't, it wouldn't change the fact that this _isn't your fault._ You didn't cause this, Jason. And, just for your information, I _have_ caused a stabbing or two in my day, thanks." Not the most reassuring thing he'd ever said, true, but he couldn't let Jason wallow in self-pity.

Jason didn't respond. He just did that thing that really good people did when they couldn't stop blaming themselves for things beyond their control: averting his eyes and pouting. 

"Hey, don't worry," Percy said, forcing a little cheer into his voice that he didn't quite feel, "we'll figure this out. You'll lay low here for a few days, and we'll get to the bottom of this, and then everything will be fine."

"I hope that's true," a voice spoke out behind him, "for your sake."

Riptide was out and up before Percy even thought of it, the point an inch from the throat of a man who hadn't been there a moment ago. The man was tall, tanned, and muscular, with a tank top showing off his arms. His lazily grinning face was topped by a mop of black curls. But the most obvious and striking features were the red-brown wings folded against his back.

Breaking-and-entering? Wings? A condescending smirk? Percy had been around the block enough times to put the pieces together: Mystery man was a god.

Jason was on his feet half a second later. "Favonius," he hissed.

"You two know each other?" Percy queried, not taking his eyes off the intruder.

"Jason here knows me, yes, by my Roman name," the stranger offered helpfully, "but you, Percy Jackson, would call me Zephyros."

"Zephyros." Percy furrowed his brow, trying to remember who, exactly, that was. "You're a...wind god right? The West Wind."

"Right!" The man--Zephyros--confirmed. "Now that the intro's out of the way, you mind putting that sword down? I'm not here to cause trouble."

"No," Jason said venomously, "I know why you're here."

"Then you know I'm not in the business of picking fights," Zephyros responded, "I'm here to help. Or, at least, to explain." Jason didn't look convinced, but Percy had enough experience with gods that he felt pretty confident in his ability to read them, and he withdrew his sword, but didn't revert it to pen shape just yet. "Thank you, Percy."

"Start talking," Jason growled.

"Fine, fine," Zephyros said boredly, "I imagine you haven't forgotten who I serve?" Percy did know, because _'don't fuck a god if you can help it'_ was one lesson Chiron always tried to drive into his students' heads. Shit like that almost never ended well.

"Yeah," Jason replied, his voice still thick with animosity, "I remember. What does Cupid want?"

"First, to tell you that this wasn't his idea."

"Riiiight," Jason drawled, "because this isn't him all over." He barked out a bitter laugh, one that sounded _wrong_ coming from him, at least to Percy.

"I never said he wasn't _involved_ ," Zephyros countered, "in that, you are correct. The curse you're under was crafted by my master."

Percy frowned. "Why would Eros curse Jason if he didn't want to?" Who would, or _could_ , compel a god to do...anything?

"Eros is not the mastermind here," Zephyros said, "in many ways, he's a servant like me; a piece of a much larger machine." The wind god inclined his head toward Percy. "Think of it like this: Love is a ship, and my master is only the first mate. It's the captain that decides where to go, and how to get there. "

_The captain._

"Aphrodite," Percy said, turning to Jason, "she did this. Or she ordered it." He turned back the West Wind. "That's what you're saying, right?"

Zephyros smiled. "And to think, Athena believes you to be a simpleton." Percy didn't bother taking offense at that. Your ex-girlfriend's mother wasn't really supposed to like you, after all. Zephyros fixed Jason with a stare, "His right. This came from the top. Aphrodite was the one who ordered you be cursed, and she sent her oldest son to do the job."

"But..." Jason struggled, "what did I _do?_ If this is about Piper--"

"It is, in a way, but not in the way you're thinking;, the wind god dismissed, "it's you that Aphrodite's concerned with here. You've avoided any...entanglements, since the McLean girl."

"I needed time." Percy knew _that_ was the truth. He'd talked Jason through more than one bout of melancholy over the breakup, and carried Piper home from more than one bar excursion. Splitting up with Annabeth had been a walk in the park compared to that little drama.

"You've had time," Zephyros declared, "and now it's time to move on."

Jason scowled. "What the hell does driving innocent people crazy have to do with me moving on?" 

"Well, motivation, for one. Any woman you come into contact with will fall under the spell. Well, _most_ women." Zephyros shrugged. "Some things are beyond even my lord's power. You can consider them hostages. Breaking the curse will free them. Failure means that they, and you, will never escape."

"Why me?" Jason asked miserably, "what did I do?"

"You were you. That was all she needed. A great hero, one of the mightiest of his age. She was bound to turn her attention to you sooner or later. 'Tough love.' Eros learned it from his mother, after all. That's the point of this little exercise. Aphrodite wants people to be happy in the end, but they suffer along the way. They suffer greatly." His expression softened, and he cast a sympathetic look to the son of Jupiter. "We're all puppets, Jason, and sooner or later, she decides to pick up our strings. She'd have gotten to you even if you'd stayed with her daughter. Aphrodite so hates to be bored."

"So Aphrodite's making Jason her sweeps week stunt?" Percy asked incredulously? "Remind me again why I didn't let Kronos turn you assholes into salsa?"

Zephyros laughed. "It's more like you're _all_ part of the stunt, actually," he said, "Jason's just the linchpin. This will either end happily or...memorably." 

"Then what?" Jason pressed, "What does she want me to do?"

"I can't say. Like I told you before, she's the one with the blueprint here. You'll get your chance when she's ready for you." Zephyros gave them a little wave. "For what it's worth, I wish you luck."

Then the god extended his wings, which stirred up far more air then it should have. Percy brought an arm up to shield himself, but the gusts dispersed as soon as they'd arrived, and when Percy opened his eyes, he and Jason were alone once again.

Quickly reverting Riptide, Percy turned to his friend. Jason had sat back down, bent over, with his head in his hands. "Okay," he said, "well now we know."

"Yeah," Jason replied listlessly, "we know." He didn't look up.

Percy felt his hands tighten into fists. Once again, he and his friends were getting dicked around for some Olympian asshole's amusement. _'Sometimes I wish all the gods had one head,'_ he thought to himself, _'so I could it off them all at once.'_ But that thought wasn't going to do them any good. Fighting at this point was certain to end poorly for them. So they'd play Aphrodite's game for now, and figure how to get back at her when there weren't so many lives at stake.

"I meant what I said before, man," Percy put a hand on the dejected blond's shoulder, and all the confidence he could into his voice, "we've got this. You and me? I give it a week, tops, before we get you out of this. And then, when it's all over, we'll look back, and we'll laugh, and we'll say 'that was fuckin' hilarious.'"

**Author's Note:**

> **Next time: "This is fuckin' intolerable!"**
> 
>  
> 
> I meant to post this as one big fic instead of by the chapter, but I've been picking up so many extra shifts at work these last few weeks that I just haven't had the energy.


End file.
